Man sentenced in connection with Cedar Rapids gun violence

A Cedar Rapids man has been sentenced to five years in prison for illegally possessing firearms in connection with several incidents of gunfire.

Timothy Rush, 24, of Cedar Rapids pleaded guilty in federal court to carrying a firearm while being an illegal user of marijuana, and one count of possessing a firearm as a felon.

In the plea deal, Rush admitted to several incidents involving a firearm. The first was on March 25, 2011, when police caught him carrying a 9mm pistol with another person. A drug test showed he had regularly used marijuana.

On May 7, 2012, police caught Rush with a sawed-off shotgun following a shots-fired call on the southeast side of Cedar Rapids.

Then, on May 29, 2014, police say he dropped a .38-caliber pistol while running from them, and admitted the weapon was stolen.

Rush will serve five years in federal prison. After his release, he will spend three years under court supervision.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations assisted Cedar Rapids Police in this case.